How to Create an Awesome Company Culture

We’ll let you in on a little business secret: Company culture is directly related to a company’s performance. If you don’t believe us, let’s start with the numbers.

In four years Advance Financial’s total revenue grew from over $51 million to more than $149 million. Because of that exponential growth in revenue – 188% to be exact – Inc. magazine put us on its list of the fastest-growing companies in the country for the sixth time in a row in 2017.

All this growth would not be possible without our employees – our most important asset. We are committed to answering the needs of each and every employee both personally and professionally and, in turn, they feel appreciated and motivated to do their best work. That is how a business makes its way to the top.

Here are some of our best ideas for making the workplace a place where employees want to be.

Provide stellar benefits

Great benefits and perks incentivize working hard. We see it as doing our employees a service in return for theirs.

In these tough financial times, our goal is provide the best benefit options for our employees. Not only do they have access to dental, vision and life insurance through the company, but they also receive 100% company-paid health insurance. This can take a huge stressor off an employee’s back, so they can focus on living their best life professionally and personally.

Employees don’t have to worry about the stress of retirement planning either because we offer a competitive 401K matching plan that helps them feel prepared for life down the road.

The health of our employees is very important to us, so we offer various wellness perks to keep them healthy and on the job. Employees have access to paid sick and vacation time, standing desks, an on-site gym in our Nashville headquarters, weekly yoga classes, regular visits from a masseuse and even weekly in-office access to a nurse practitioner.

We believe that healthy employees are happy employees, so we strive to give our team members what they need to thrive.

Encourage professional and personal growth

Besides great benefits, Advance Financial hosts professional development events, such as a two-day Manager Certification Program. This workshop helps our managers develop the leadership skills they need to succeed in a managerial role. Through these programs, we want to create opportunities for advancement within the company. It can be highly motivating for employees when there are higher positions to which they can aspire.

A great company culture doesn’t just focus on professional development, though. It should also place emphasis on personal development. A successful company is filled with people who know what is important to them and who actively seek out opportunities that align with those beliefs. Personal development opportunities are also a great way to get employees to go out and make a difference together.

One of our missions is to be a valuable member of our community, and we instill that value in our employees. With that in mind, every employee is offered 40 hours per year of paid time off to volunteer.Through this benefit, the company volunteered 1,803.25 hours last year.

When employees feel like they have meaningful experiences outside the office, they may feel a sense of personal accomplishment, and find confidence in themselves and perspective on everything they have to offer. This can translate well when they get back to the office.

Foster diversity in the workplace

Nothing is more empowering than a workplace where people of all ages, genders, races and religions have an equally important role. A diverse workplace is proven to provide a more open and communicative environment where many unique voices can bring their perspectives to the table.

At Advance Financial, we are committed to hiring a diverse workforce and leadership team who can relate to our customers. With representation from so many different groups, the company has become a great place for anyone to work, and we are better able to serve the needs of our communities in Tennessee and across the country.

Foster personal connections

Just as volunteering brings employees together, we also plan recreational events that everyone can enjoy as a company.

Throughout the year we have Newbie Nights for new employees to get to know each other, exciting trips for our long-tenured employees and an Annual Charity Talent Show. We also participate in walks and races together and enjoy friendly competition with office decorating and costume contests for the holidays.

Employees who take the time to have fun together outside of the office setting – or even in the office – get a chance to learn about each other and bond more than if they always stay in their own cubicles. And when you know people on a more personal level, it’s much easier to cooperate and collaborate with them in a professional setting.

Make the mission clear

It’s especially important that employees know why you do what you do to help them. It’s no secret that, here at Advance Financial, we want our employees to feel cared for and valued as individuals. We intentionally built our culture to support our employees’ needs. Because of that structure and support, team members can focus their energies on the needs of the company, and that’s where you start to see the business grow. In short, companies run on happy employees.